Combination connector



March 7, 1950 M. J. CAFIERO COMBINATION CONNECTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledFeb. 27, 1946 ATT REY March 7, 1950 M. J. CAFIERO COMBINATION CONNECTOR5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1946- 0 y WM. r M m ow f J1 r a A 6. 0 m4 5 1 M 9 Z :1, w 7 v 71,. U: .I W ,7 m 4.; WW I 1 u%/ w Filed Feb. 27,1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 7, 1950 M. J. CAFIERO 85 COMBINATIONCONNECTOR MCHAEL J 64FIERO INVENTOR.

I BY 1 ATEORIVEK I l .The invention here Patented Mar. 7, 1950 PATENTOFFICE E Cafiero, Rockville Centre, N.Y.- Y Application l ebruary 27,leiaseri i No. 650,674

disclosed relates to electrical connectors'for'wires, cables, tubes orother forms of. conductors. I

'Special objects'of the invention are to provide a universal type 'ofconnector which may be 'used interchangeably for making T taps; paralleltaps, couplings" orxfother' more or less standard forms oficonhectionsand which in such usewillaccommodatei andfb'e' "adaptable to conductorsof the sameor diff'erent'sizes and conductors within-a considerablerange of sizes.

- Other special objects or the invention are to provide 'a connectorwhich may be readily applied tov conductors of existing transmissionsystems, which will make good;- firm, secure mechanical and: electricalengagementwith cons mers of different sizes and Y which" with F such'advantages? will ioccupy but 'sm'all space so as to be useablefin iallordinar locations and which will be of simple and relatively inexpensiveconstruction 'Other' desirable objects and thenoveljfeatures by whichthe purposes of the invention are attainedare set-forth-and will appearin the course of the following specification. s

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate present preferred embodiments of the invention.structurefhowever, may be modified and changed as regards the presentillustration; as will appear from the scope of. the invention ashereinafter defined and claimed. i Q Fig. I in the drawingis a brokenand part longitudinal sectional view of the connector; H

Figs. 2'and 3 are views of the opposite ends of the connector; I

Fig. 4 is a plan view'showing the connector in use for making a paralleltap and indicating in brokenlines how-itmay be employed for making a Ttap; and

Fig. 5 is a broken sectional view on substantially the plane of line 5-5of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan view, Fig. 7 a side view and Fig. 8 a broken section online 8-8, Fig. 6, illustrating a modification.

Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of the two forms of the inventionshown respectively in Figs. 1 and 6.

The body of the connector, designated 1, is shown as formed withparallel seats 8, 9, for main and secondary conductors I 0, ll, Fig. 4,and with an angularly related seat l2 in one end intersecting orcrossing the seat 9, for the branch conductor l 3, Fig. 4, of a T tap.

At the opposite end the body is closed by a clasp member [4, knuckledand pivoted at IE to a top member it, which in turn is knuckled andpivoted at ll to the bridge portion 43 of the body between the twoconductor passes. s

The lower'end of the end clasp I 4 is shown as carrying a hook itinterlockingly engaging in a keeper recess l9, Fig. 1, in the under endportion of the body.

I Conductors in the three seats described are adjustably grippedand heldby an arched clamp plate 20 operable over the seat 8 and by a clampplate2l operable over the crossed seats 9 and I2 and'correspondinglyarched at 22, 23, in right angled relation to grip conductors in eitherof said seats. The singleand'the double clamp plates 20, 21,ate-adjustable inboth directions, in'the il lustration, by means ofscrewplugs 24, 25, operable in, the swinging top plate I6 and in the top lofthe; base, respectively, and pivotally com nected- 'with"said plates bypivoted rivet studs 26, 21. The heads at the upper ends of these rivetstuds, in the illustration, are received in the countersunk key sockets28, 29, in the upper ends of the screw plugs.

*"I'he clamp plates are held against turning by engagement with sidewalls of the cavities over the'conductor seats. Thus the single clampplate 2 0'is shown as having substantially parallel side walls to beguided by correspondingly but wider spaced, substantially parallel sidewalls 30, 3|,

Fig. 1, on hook plate I4 and on the base above the seat 8. Similarly,the double clamp plate 2| is shown as having substantially parallel sideedges 32 engaging substantially parallel walls 33,

Figs. 1 and 5, above the seat 9 and substantially parallel edges 34,Figs. 3 and 5, for engagement with the substantially parallel walls 35above the seat I 2.

The formation of the parallel guide walls 33 and 35 in right angledrelation provides the efiect of four corner posts such as indicated at36, Fig. 5, and the provision of the clamp plate with edges to match isattained by simply cutting rectangular notches in the corners of thisclamp plate to match the sides of these corner posts.

The clamping portions which hold the conductors, that is, the seats 8,9, I2, and the clamp plates 20, 2|, may be cross ribbed as indicated at3'! to firmly grip and bite into the conductors.

Screw seats 38, 39, are shown in Fig. 1 entered up through the bottom ofthe base to receive screws for supporting or steadying the connector orfor other purposes.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device may be quicklyconnected over a main conductor at any point in the length of the sameby unlatching the clasp l4 and then closing it over the conductor andsetting up the screw clamp 20. Before or after this connection is made abranch conductor such as indicated at l l in Fig. 4, may be passedthrough the base and be secured by the clamp 21, thus completing aparallel tap. The clamps being adjustable over a suitable range enableswires, cables or tubes of the same or different sizes and in aconsiderable range of sizes, to be connected in this relation.

To effect a coupling between two conductor ends, the end of oneconductor may be caught in one clamp and the end of the conductor to bejoined therewith, caught in the other clamp, in the parallel relationdescribed or, if desired, in right angled relation by bringing thesecond conductor into the end clamp in the relation indicated in brokenlines at i3 in Fig. 4.

To use the device for a T tap the open jaw clamp may be secured over amain conductor such as indicated at E0 in Fig. 4, and the branchconductor then be secured in the end clamp, as indicated at K3 in Fi 4.

In all such uses the cables or other forms of conductors are securelyheld and good electrical conductivity is attained and maintained.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the hingeknuckles as shown at IT, Figs. 4 and 9, are reversed, that is, the twooutside hinge loops designated 40 in Figs. 6 and 10 are located on thetop is instead of on the body member i. Also, preferably both this topmember and the hinged clasp portion :4, as indicated by the difierencein shading, are made of stronger material than the base, for example, ofharder bronzethan the base. These features enable these movable parts tobe kept desirably small in size and yet be amply strong enough to meetall requirements.

The rivet for securing the clamp plate to the clamp screw may be made asan integral portion of the screw, as shown at 21a, Fig. 8, the screw inthis case being a headed bolt 24a.

Further, as shown in this same view, the clamp member may be rotatablyheld on the end of the rivet stud and be in the form of a disc 4i,instead of an extended plate. This rotatable disc form of clamp isparticularly desirabl for the smaller sizes of cable connections.

Another special feature shown in Figs. '7 and 8 is the provision of aspring lock washer 12 on the shank of the rivet stud 21a, adapted tohelp in holding the clamp firmly engaged with the conductor and arrangedby its resilience to take up for cold set of the copper conductor or any4 slight looseness that might be occasioned by vibration or extremes oftemperature.

In both forms of the invention shown the hinge clasp M has an outwardlyinclined lower or inner edge 44 cooperative with a correspondingly butoppositely inclined edge 45 at the end of the body member to assist theclasp in sliding freely into the hooked position and, when the parts arein hooked position, to guide the clasp in an outwardly swingingdirection as the top plate is lowered, thus to assist in releasing theclasp from the hooked condition. Thus the companion inclines 4t and 45are of assistance in both the closing and the opening action of theclamp.

What is claimed is:

A connector for engagement over a continuous line conductor comprising abase having a seat for a through conductor, a top plate hinged at oneend on said base over said conductor seat, a latch plate hinged to thefree end of said top plate and having a hook at the free end of the samefor cooperation with the base, the base being recessed to accommodatesaid hook and form a keeper therefor, the end of the base adjoining saidkeeper recess being outwardly inclined to guide the hook of the latchthereover into position for cooperation with the keeper recess and thelatch plate being similarly inclined adjoining the hook for cooperationwith the in clined end of the base plate for swinging the latch plateoutwardly into unhooked relation in the lowering movement of the topplate over said conductor seat, a clamp screw operating down throughsaid top plate and aclamp plate secured in relatively rotatable relationon the lower end of said clamp screw over said conductor seat andoperable by said screw to be clamped against a conductor to lock theconnector on the conductor or to be retracted from the conductor topermit movement of the top plate and latch plate as described sufficientto permit removal of the connector from the conductor.

MICHAEL J. CAFIERO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,196,383 Buchanan Apr, 9, 19402,198,262 Bergan Apr. 23, 1940 2,219,846 Meyer Oct. 29, 1940 2,422,332Becker June 1'7, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 188,130Switzerland Mar. 1, 1937

